Weft replenishing pick and pick loom



51949. w.,H. WAKEFIELD 2,

WEFT REPLENISHING PICK AND PICK LOOM Filed Nov. 2, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 6| 1PM 62 F .F'lG.l LG 60 J /RG |4\ -13 ATTORNEY Feb. 1, 1949. WA D 2,460,318

WEFT REPLENISHING PICK AND PICK 100M .2; HQMGQM.

INVENTOR WA LTER H. WAKEF/ELD ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 1, 1949 T OFFICE WEFT REPLENISHING PICK AND- PICK LOOM Walter ;;H. Wakefield, Worcester, Mass as s ignor to Crompton & Knowles Loom Works, Worcester, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application November 2, 1946, Serial No. 107,362

This invention relates to improvements in weft replenishing pick and pick looms of the-type having a weft detector on one side of the loom and replenishing mechanism on the opposite side, and in which three shuttles follow each other in rotation.

Looms of the type to which this invention relates ordinarily have shifting shuttle boxes with two cells on each end of the lay, the boxes shifting in four-pick cycles, e ach set or gang of boxes bein vup for two; picks'and then down for two picks, and-the gangs shiftin 'alternately so that one or the other of the gangs shifts each pick of the loom. The three shuttles are picked in such order; that each shuttle, after being active for :one pick isfollowed by anothershuttle and becomes inactive for two picks. When 'a weft detector on the side of the loom opposite the manazinerindicates. exhaustion of weft in an inactive shuttle the greater part of four picks Willelapse before the shuttle can be replenished. In order to carryover the indication until'it can be used ithasbeen necessary heretofore to employ holding means, such as a holding circuit for an electromagnet; or. some form of lock; which; will retain the 'indi'cation untilthe proper timearrives to releasev a .bobbinQf-or transfer and effect its transfer from areserve bobbin magazine. I

It is an important object of the present invention to provide improved weft detecting and bobbin releasingmeans including a cam operating on a. two-pick cycle andneffective not only to cause bobbin release'from the magazine, but also provide the necessary time delay between indication of weft exhaustionwhen' first given by the weft detector and the time when the indication can properly be used to initiate a two-pick sequence culminating in bobbin transfer.

The magazine ordinarily comprises bobbin stacks each having a delivery cradle controlled by an upright'slide which is given acomplete reciprocation by an actuator upon-call for replenishment, moving first in an upward direction to turn thecradle to receive a bobbin from its stack, and then descending to turn. the cradle in the oppositedirection to release the. bobbin suit can move to transfer position. An empty shuttle in the top shuttle box at the side of the loom opposite the magazine will be out of action or inactive for two picks, and .will cause the detector to give an indication of exhaustion at the beginning of its period of inaction, When the shuttle returns to; action twopicksi later it is picked to the magazineside. of the 11 cm and is then movedout of' action foranother,periodfofltwo picks; The i '6 Claims. (01. 139-232) shuttle will not be properly placed for transfer during the first pick of this second pair of picks but will be so placed during the second pick, and because of this fact the greater part of four picks lapses between first indication of exhaustion and replenishment. I

It is a further object of the invention tov provide an improved two-pick cam for the slide actuator operating in such manner that start of a two-pick replenishing sequence canrbe delayed until just before the depleted shuttle returns to action, thereby permitting the sequence to extend into the third and fourth picks of the aforesaid four-pick cycle. This arrangement avoids the use of a holdingcircuit if an electric detector is used, or other means for storing an indication of weft exhaustion over a period of morethan twopicks. W With these and other objects in view Whichwill appearas the description proceeds, my invention resides in thecombination andarrangement of parts hereinafter describedfifld'set forth.

In the accompanying drawinga wherein a con-. venient embodiment of my invention i s.set forth, Fig. l is a diagrammatic front elevation ofa loom having the invention applied -thereto,. 1 Fig. 2 is anvenlargeds'ide elevation ofthe magazine looking in the direction of arrow 2, Fig. "1,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged diagrammatic View showing the cam as it would be seen from arrow 3, Fig. 1, and showing the actuator lever,

Fig. 4 is an enlarged elevation of the cam on the bottom shaft which operates the actuator, Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view of the electric circuit used with the invention, and

Fig. 6 is a series of diagrammatie views showing successive positions of the shuttle boxes and parts of the invention forfoursuccebsivepicksand part of a fifth pick, the'figure being'arrange'd with four vertical columns A-D showing-different parts of the invention, "and; the successive lay positions being indicated by; Roman umerals;

R r n ri qi arlr oifie: lithe: r me iii has a lay ll which is reciprocated backwardly and forwardly in theusual manner. Atthe-right end of the lay is a gang R6 of two'shuttleboxes or cells, the upper and lower of which'are'indie cated at-l2 and i3, respectiVeiy, while'-atthe opposite side of the laya" second gangrLGvhas top and bottom boxesjor cells. [4 and I5, respectively. The gangs RG and LG are supported, respectively, on box lifter rod l6 and if under control of shuttle box operating mechanismrnot shown. The gangs are eachon a four pickcycle, each gang being inhigh position for two'isucces' sive picks to place the lower cell or box thereof in active position, and then in low position for the next two picks to place the top cell or shuttle box thereof in active position. One or the other of the gangs shifts every pick of the loom, the shiftings of the gangs being out of step by one pick to accomplish this result.

The gangs of boxes cooperate with three shuttles SI, S2 and S3 which follow each other in rotation so that each shuttle after being active for one pick is moved out of action for the next two picks and is followed by another shuttle. The shuttles may all carry the same kind of filling, or the wefts of the shuttles may be diverse, in which event the replenishin mechanism will be adapted to supply reserve wefts corresponding to the wefts of the shuttles.

During a complete reciprocation the lay will pass through four major positions which are, re-

spectively, bottom, front, top and back centers.

The shuttle boxes shift when the lay is in the forward part of its motion between bottom and top centers and will ordinarily be half shifted when the lay is at front center.

The loom is provided with a multistack maga- 1 zine M which in the present instance as shown in Fig. 2 provides four stacks i8, i9, and H of reserve bobbins. Each stack is associated with a vertical or upright bobbin release member or slide, these members being indicated at 22, 23, 24 and 25. The lower end of each of these upright members is operatively connected to a cradle part of which is indicated at 26. Each member 22-25 has upper and lower lugs 27 and 28 respectively. The members 22--25 are normally down and the cradles are empty, but when any of the upright members is raised its corresponding cradle is rocked in one direction to receive a bobbin from the associated stack, and when the upright member is later depressed the cradle returns to its normal position to deliver the previously received bobbin. The latter thereupon moves to a transfer position designated at W under a transferrer arm 30 having a transferrer latch 3! for engagement with a bunter 32 on the gang RG.

The mechanism for raising and lowering the upright members includes a selector 35 which has rocking movements and also longitudinal movements so that it can register with the upright slides or members 22-25 one at a time. As shown in Fig. 2 the selector 35 is registered with the front upright slide 22 for cooperation with its lu s 2! and 28, but it can be moved rearwardly from the position shown in Fig. 2 by a positioning lever 3t operated by any approved form of control.

A stand fixed with respect to the loom guides a vertically reciprocating block ti the upper end of which is pivoted as at 42 to an actuator lever 43 between the ends thereof. One end of the lever is connected to an upright rod 44 which is connected to the selector 35 as at A5 and is the means by which the selector is rocked. The lower end of block 4! is connected to a descending rod 46 connected to a relatively large lever 4'! pivoted on a fixed support 48. The rear part of lever 4?, that is the right end as viewed in Fig. 3, carries a roll 89 to cooperate with a cam designated generally at 50. The cam is on the bottom shaft 5| of the loom and completes a rotation in two picks, turning in the direction of arrow a.

The right end of lever 43, Fig. 3, is adapted for cooperation with a fixed stud 55 thereover and a movable controller pin 55 thereunder. The pin 55 is slidable backwardly and forwardly in the stand 40 and is under control of a solenoid 51 fixed to the loom frame. The core 58 of the solenoid is connected to the controller pin 58 as at 59. Ordinarily the core 58 and pin 55 are held to the left as viewed in Fig. 5 by means of a light compression spring 60 for the purpose of holdin the rear end of the controller pin out of the vertical path of the adjacent end of actuator lever 43.

The details of cam 58 form the important part of the present invention and will be set forth more clearly hereinafter, but it may be stated that it gives lever 43 two characters of motion. The pivot 42 has a normal or neutral position during parts of the cycle of operations, but moves downwardly at periodic intervals and then returns to its neutral position, after which it rises and then returns to its neutral position. When the controller pin 56 is in its normal non-controlling position, the down motion of pivot 42 is idle in that the right end of lever 43, Fig. 3, descends without causing movement of rod 44 or angular movement of the selector 35. If, on the other hand, the controller pin is in indicating position, this normal idle movement of lever 43 is prevented and it rocks in a counter-clockwise direction, Fig. 3, around pin 56, thereby depressing rod 54 and rocking selector 35 in such direction as to raise the lug 21 0f the upright slide 22-25 registered therewith.

The second of the motions imparted to pivot 42 by the cam is upward and always causes lever it to move about fixed pin 55 as a center and of course causes rising of the rod 66 and rocking of selector 35 in the opposite direction,

or in a direction to cause it to engage any raised lug 22 registered with it to lower the corresponding vertical slide. The downward and. upward motions of pivot 42 from the neutral position thereof occur in regular sequence for each pair of picks of the loom, rising of rod 44 being regularly recurring once for each pair of picks, but depression of rod 44 occurring only when controller pin 56 is under lever 43.

The loom operates with a weft detector or feeler F of the electro-mechanical side slipping type mounted on an upward extension of the lay designated at 60 in position to engage the weft of the shuttle in cell or box 24 when the gang LG is in its up or high position indicated in Fig. 1. If suificient weft for continued weaving is present in s .uttle box M, the feeler will rise in usual manner without giving indication, but if the weft is depleted the detector arm 6! will rock in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1 and engage an electric contact 62 fixed with respect to the lay.

The loom has a shipper handle 63 connected to a switch 64 which is closed when the shipper handle is in running position to cause loom operation, but open when the shipper handle moves to stopping position when loom operation is arrested.

When the detector indicates weft exhaustion the following detector circuit, Fig. 5, will be closed: secondary winding 65 of a transformer T, wire 66, switch 64, detector arm Bl, contact 62, wire 57, wire 68, solenoid 51, and wire 69 back to the secondary winding 55. Closure of this circuit energizes solenoid 57 and causes rearward movement of its core 58 and also the controller pin 56 against the action of light compression spring 60. This energization of solenoid 5'! will continue so long as a depleted Weft supply in shuttle box- I4 is inraised position, and during plete :the sequencezpantinif ihmfirsti-nickzorsthe next;'four-nickscycle;is: aismshown; since it is in this position of the,,la:z ;.t,hat transferactually occurs. The-'various part's"indicated in Fig. 6 are.

arrangedyin: vertical colunmssasriiollowszscolmnn A, shuttle boxes -and-Weftbdetector;-- columnB,

actuator lever and controller therefor; column 0, lay hunter and transfer latch; and column D, selector and upright or vertical slides.

In position I Q' "pik le; gang isdown with shuttles S t-sand -.S2 -;.in--boxes;v M and I5, respectively, while gang ;RCjris;up. with shuttle S3 in box 52, box' l3 being empty. The lay is at bottom center and moving forwardly, and shuttle S! has just enteredbox Hi and is assumed to be depleted ofwei -:nctua prd srM: is in down motion, but controller .pinttis forward and rod 34 therefore lremains at rest and the selector 35 is in neutral p osition 'Ijhe transferrer latch}! is gown or non-transferposition below the path of the.shuttlaboxcarried bunter32. 1

In position II. the lay is at front center and gang LG is rising; "to'rnove exhaustecl shuttle Si toward the detectorjoi feelr F. Actuator lever 83 has returned't'oits neutral position, the hunter 32 has reached its foremost position, latch M is down, and selector 35 is-still neutral.

In position III boxes LGare .fully. up and. depletes. shuttle Sl;. has. ,rbcl ed.. the..;ieeler.-E ,to

n age oontactfiz, thereby ener izin -thee cuit shownin Fig. 5 and causing;,excitation. .of the solenoid with resultant .movement of,.the controller pin 58 under'lever 33. The latter is still in neutral positionasis also the selector,

the lay is at top center so that hunter 32 is moving rearwardly and shuttle S2 is about to be picked. JfI,-'-,., .}-I..I,;

In position IV the lay is on back center 'with shuttle 52 moving toward box 13. 'The actuator lever and selector are still neutral.- This coinpletes pick. one and leaves the controller pin 56 under theactuatorflever lout otherwise no change has occurred'in' the'replenishing mechanism.

Pick two starts with position V in which the lay is on bottom center and both gangs of boxes up. Lever 53 and selector 35 are still neutral.

In position VI the lay is again onjront teeter and gang RG is descending, whilethe actuator lever and selector remainneutral.

In position VII the lay at t op center,.gangv RG is down and shuttle S Z-llisabout to be picked. At or about thistirrre earn a'i ses the actuator lever i3, thereby causing a logkwise rocking of selector 35 which however, is tical slide 22 is down. y.

In position VIII the lay 1 on back centenwith shuttle S3 approaching boxit, actuator-lever --has.

43 s wm t nsensire in ls ih el na; 3 fis eri s-their i s g e Ie since the ygr Zais unmoved and-since gangLGisstilbu the solenoid remains energized to hold controller pin 55 under-lever ll3.- "This completes pick two of the four-pick cycle and alsofthe two-pick cycle oflevermv' Pick three starts with position-"IX imwhich the lay is at bottom center-anel-gang LG prepar ing to descend; Lever 43 is moved down vby cam 55,- but since controller-pin:'fifiizis'still'zin controlling position due to eontinued energization -o'f--thesolenoid as aresultof gang lsGrre maining up; rooHl depressed "amt-the selector 35 is given a counter-clockwise-angular-move ment, thereby engaging'top lug- 2? or's'lide 2'2 to lift the latter. This stores an indication inith-e magazine inasmuch as the slide"22' when'inoved to its up. position will remain there" until sub: sequently depressedw During upward" movement of--sliole T Z a-"however; the I transfer is un affected-and remains down..- e

In'po'sition X the lay is on front center'for the third time'and boxes LG-aremoilihg down, shuttle Si having left-thefeelerF and thereby breaking-the: circuit on the solenoid. ifiontroller a pin 55 "therefore returns to' itsforward position clearxofrthe actuator. Lever 43 and the selector are in theirkneutral positions -fand slide 22-==is stil1u-p.-

In position XI the lay is atrtopscenterswith shuttle-Si about to be picked. The actuator lever and selector are still in neutral position.

In position XII shuttle S! approaches shuttle box 52 as thelayiiS on back center, the actuator lever and selector remaining neutral This completes pickthree.

Pick four starts at-position XIIIwith the lay again on bottom center and advancing, the actuator lever and selector remaining neutral.

In position XIV gang IR G is rising to more shuttle S5 to its up position ere; it can receive the incoming reserve bob iheactuator lever and selector are still her and slide -2 2 isstillup. J l The magazine generally employs parts not shown.herein to effect resetting ofthe magazine incident to'completion of a transfer 'operation by forward rhovement of the lay. Obviously, the magazine cannot beset for transfer when the lay is at front centersince this is the condition of resetting, but"at some time subsequent to position XIV, such as position. XV after the lay has left front ,center, as at top center, the magazine can be set 'for. transfer, and at this time the cam 56 Willagain raiseactuatorlever- 53 which will have the eiIecto-f rocking selector.

35;. inl -.a tclockwise Y direction, thereby depressing the previously raised slide 22 by engagementvofi lug 23.,ithereof. Thishas theeifect or raising thetransfer latch. 31 totransier position and. also releasing a bobbin from the front stack so it can move to the transfer positionW.

Bunter 32 is rnoving r earwardly at this tizne, hence latch 3i is abl'e to rise, andfs'huttle 5? is about to be picked from box it. The magazine isnowsetfortransfer... I Po i n X he a s at a kv sen er nit shuttle S2 approachingg'box. if: havinglett box iii-em ty for dischagrgei'ofitli'e depleted bobbin in huttle Si. Actuatorleverj lg and-selector 35 areYback -to theirneutral positions and 'lat ch a i sem lst a he soni crpi f c u t ri sver T -indic e;to i-t ansfer;

actually effected, Fig. 6 shows the first two positions of the ensuing pick five.

lever 43 descends as it did in position I, but gang LG is down so that the weft feeler F- cannot close the detector circuit, hence the controller pin 56 is necessarily forward and cannot trip lever 43, and selector 35 remains neutral. It is the existence of these same conditions at or immediately before position I which prevented rising of slide 22 during pick one.

In position XVIII the lay has reached front center position, bunter 52 has moved latch 31 forwardly and the transferrer arm 30 has been rocked to depress the bobbin W into shuttle SI, the exhausted bobbin descending through box i3. This completes the replenishing operation, and as the lay recedes bunter 32 moves away from latch 3| and the transfcrrcr arm and its latch return to their normal positions shown in Fig, 2.

In position XVIII it should be noted that gang LG is again rising, a condition similar to position II, and if shuttle S2 should be depleted the feeler F will again indicate exhaustion when gang LG is fully raised. From this it will be seen that replenishing operations can occur in successive four-pick cycles due to the fact that initiation and eifectuation of a replenishing operation is completed within four picks.

Reference has already been made to the longitudinal movement of selector 35. Known mechanisms are available to effect this motion so that bobbins can be drawn from the several stacks in rotation, or from a stack corresponding to the depleted shuttle in box it. Such controls for the selector form no essential part of the present invention, but it is obvious that the selector should not be moved longitudinally between the time one of the vertical slides is raised and is subsequently depressed.

In the preceding description the rising and falling movements of the actuator lever 43 have been set forth in detail. These movements are derived from cam 53 the roll receiving groove of which has a dwell area corresponding to the neutral position of actuator lever 43, a zone of short radius corresponding to the down motion of lever 43, as in positions I and IX, and a zone of relatively long radius corresponding to up motion of the actuator lever as indicated for instance in positions VII and XV. Cam 50 will be set on the bottom shaft 5% so that the actuator lever 43 willhave its movements in the described time relation with respect to the lay and shuttle box gang positions.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the weft detector system and cam Eli are so related that the vertical slides 2225 will not'be raised until relatively late in the four-pick cycle, that is, just before gang LG starts to move down, as for instance in position DI or shortly therebefore. With the train of operations starting this late in the four-pick cycle replenishment can be delayed sufiiciently long so that the reserve bobbins will not be placed in the shuttle in box I2 with gan RG up until box I3 is empty and the lay is on front center. It will be seen that this result is accomplished without the use of holding circuits for the electromagnet, or any other storage or holdover means aside from the vertical slides which form a normal part of the multicolor weft replenishing loom. The cam 50 is somewhat different from two-pick cams heretofore used for operating lever 43, in that the actuator lever 43 is given a downward motion somewhat earlier than usual. In the usual weft replenishing loom more time elapses between positions VII and IX than described herein. It is found, however, that cam 50 will operate satisfactorily with its high and low points closer together than in the usual cam. Also, cam 50 has a somewhat different angular setting with respect to the loom than usual in that the down motion of lever 43 is effected while the depleted shuttle is on the side of the loom opposite the magazine instead of on the same side.

Having thus described my invention it will be seen that changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is:

1. In a weft replenishing pick and pick loom operating in a replenishing sequence of four successive picks and having a lay with a gang of shifting shuttle boxes at each end thereof, the lay having a weft detector thereon adjacent to one of said gangs to detect weft in a shuttle in said one gang during the first pick of the sequence and the loom having a reserve bobbin magazine adjacent to the other gang provided with a bobbin releaser which when reciprocated releases a reserve bobbin for transfer and is ef-- fective during the fourth pick of the sequence to set normally inactive transfer mechanism for subsequent operation by the lay to transfer the released bobbin into the shuttle when the latter i is in said other gang, the lay during each pick of the four-pick sequence being successively in bottom, front, top and back center positions, said one gang moving the shuttle into detecting position relatively to the detector when the lay is in the top center position thereof during the first pick of the sequence and holding the shuttle in detecting position until after the third pick of the sequence starts, actuator means for the bobbin releaser, operating means for the actuator means givingthe latter a succession of motions in each of two successive two-pick cycles, each succession of motions beginning'when the lay is substantially in the bottom center position thereof at the beginning of the first and third picks of the se quence, said operatingmeans causing the actuator means to move in one direction from its neutral position prior to arrival of the lay at the top center position thereof during the first and third picks of the sequence and return to neutral position, and then move in the opposite direction and return to neutral position, a controller normally in noncontrolling position with respect to the actuator, the detector indicating weft exhaustion as long as the shuttle is in detecting position, provided the shuttle is depleted of weft, and means effective to hold the controller in controlling position with respect to the actuator only so long as the detector indicates exhaustion, the controller and actuator means cooperating at the beginning of the second two-pick cycle when the actuator means moves in said one direction to initiate a reciprocation of the bobbin releaser 'which is completed during the fourth pick of the and areserve bobbin magazine adjacent the other gang provided with a bobbin releaser which when reciprocated eifects release of a bobbin from the magazine for transfer and alsosets normally inactive transfer mechanism for operation by the lay to transfer the released bobbin, the loom operatingin a replenishing sequence of four successive picks during each of which the lay pass-es successively through bottom, front, top and back center positions, actuator mechanism for the bobbin releaser, a controller normally in noncontrolling position relatively to the actuator, means holding the controller in controlling position with respect to the actuator only so long as the detector indicates weft exhaustion, said detector indicating weft exhaustion when the lay is substantially in the top center position thereof during the first pick of said sequence and continuing to indicate weft exhaustion until the lay reaches the bottom center position thereof in the third pick of said sequence, and operating means for the actuator operating in successive two-pick cycles each of which begins at the start of the first and third picks of the sequence, said operating means causing the actuator at the beginning of each two-pick cycle to move in one direction before. the lay reaches the first top center position of the cycle, then return to neutral position, then move in the opposite direction when the lay is on substantially the top cent-er position thereof during the second pick of the cycle, and then return to neutral position, means effective when the detector indicates Weft exhaustion to move the controller tocontrolling position relatively to theactuator during the first pick of the sequence after the actuator has returned to neutral .position ,thereof following movement thereoi in said one direction and causing the controller to remain in' controlling position until the start of the third pick of the sequence, said actuator and controller cooperating at the beginning of the second two-pick cycle of the actuator, provided the controller is in con trolling position, to initiate a reciprocation of the 7 bobbin releaser'when the actuator moves in said one direction duringthe second two-pick cycle and completing said reciprocation of the releaser when the lay is on substantially top center position in the fourth pick of the sequence to efiect release of a reserve bobbin and setting of the transfer mechanism.

3. In a weft replenishing pick and pick loom operating in a replenishing sequence of four successive picks and having a lay provided with a gang of shifting shuttle boxes on each end thereof, the lay having a weft detector thereon adjacent to one of said gangs and the loom having a reserve bobbin magazine adjacent to the other gang provided with a bobbin releaser which when reciprocated effects release of a reserve bobbin and sets a normally idle transfer mechanism for operation by the lay, the lay during each pick of the sequence passing successively through bcttom, front, top and back center positions, said one gang shifting a shuttle therein toward the detector and causing the latter to indicate weft exhaustion, provided the shuttle is depleted of.

weft, when the lay is substantially in the top center position thereof in the first pick of said fourpick sequence, said one gang thereafter holding the shuttle in detecting position to cause the detector to continue indication of weft exhaustion until the beginning of the third pick of the sequence, whereupon said one gang moves the shut- 7 '10 tle away from detecting positionand'the detector is thereafter incapable of indicating exhaustion during the remainder of the sequence, and control mechanism for the bobbin releaser including an operating cam having a complete cycle of operations every two picks of the loom, said control mechanism including also anactuator operated by the cam and having a succsssion of movements which starts at the beginning of the first and third picks of the sequence and is effective to cause reciprocation of the bobbin releaser if the detector indicates exhaustion at the beginning of a succession of movements of the actuator, said control mechanism ineffective to reciprocate the bobbin releaser during the first and second picks of the sequence due to the fact that the detector does not indicate exhaustion until after the beginning of the succession of movements corresponding to the first twopick cycle, and said control mechanism being effective to reciprocate the bobbin releaser during the third and fourth picks of the sequence due to the fact that the weft detector is still giving indication of weft exhaustion at the beginning of the succession of movements corresponding to the second two-pick cycle.

4. In a weft replenishing pick and pick loom having a lay provided with a gang of shifting shuttle boxes at each end thereof, the lay having weft detector mounted thereon adjacent one of said gangs and the loom having a reserve bobbin magazine adjacent the other gang provided with a bobbin releaser which when reciprocatedeifects release of a-bobbin for transfer and also sets a normally idle transfer mechanism for operation by the lay,'th'e loom operating in a replenishing sequence of four successive picks during each of which the lay starts at bottom center position and then passes successively through front, top and back center positions, said one gang shifting during the first pick'of the sequence to move a shuttle therein to detecting position and cause the weft detector to indicate weft exhaustion, provided the shuttle is depleted of Weft, when the lay is substantially'at theltop center position thereof during the'firstpick of the sequence, said one gang causing the shuttle to remain inde'tecting position to cause the detector to continue indication of weft exhaustion until after the beginning of the third pick of the sequence, and operating mechanism for the bobbin releaser including a cam which has a complete rotation in two picks of the loom, said operating mechanism including an actuator for the bobbin releaser and a controller for the actuator under control of the detector and normally in non-controlling position, said cam causing the actuator to have an idle two-pick cycle of operations relatively to the bobbin releaser beginning at the start of each of the first and third picks of the sequence, if the controller is in noncontrolling position, the actuator being efiective to reciprocate the bobbin releaser if the controller is in controlling position at the start of a twopick cycle, and means causing said controller to move to controlling position with respect to the actuator when the detector indicates exhaustion after the start of the first two-pick cycle and remain in controlling position only so long as the detector indicates Weft exhaustion and until the second two-pick cycle has started.

5. In a weft replenishing pick and pick loom having a lay provided with a gang of shifting shuttle boxes at each end thereof, the lay having an electric weft detector thereon adjacent one of said gangs and the loom having a reserve bobbin magazine adjacent the other gang provided with a bobbin releaser which when reciprocated effects release of a reserve bobbin for transfer and sets a normally idle transfer mechanism for operation by the lay to effect transfer of the released bobbin, the loom operating in a four-pick replenishing sequence during each pick of which the lay starts from a bottom center position and passes successively through front, top and back center positions, said one gang shifting toward the detector as the lay moves from bottom to top center position thereof during the first pick of the sequence and reaching detecting position when the lay is in top center position and thereupon causing the detector to indicate exhaustion if the weft being detected in said gang is depleted, said one gang remaining in detecting position to continue indication of exhaustion by the detector until the beginning of the third pick of the sequence, a cam rotating in two successive twopick cycles during the sequence, a solenoid, electric means energizing the solenoid only during the time that the detector indicates weft exhaustion, and operating mechanism for the releaser including an actuator operatively connected to the cam and a controller normally in noncontrolling position with respect to the actuator but moved to controlling position relatively to the actuator when the solenoid is energized, said cam causing the actuator to have an idle series of movements during each of said two-pick cycles if the controller is in noncontrolling position at the start of each two-pick cycle but causing the actuator to reciprocate the releaser if the controller is in controlling position at the start of a two-pick cycle, said solenoid holding the controller in controlling position at the start of the second two pick cycle and thereby causing the actuator to reciprocate the releaser if the detector indicates weft exhaustion during the first twopick cycle. 7

6. In a weft replenishing loom operating in a replenishing sequence of four successive picks during each of which the lay is successively in bottom, front, top and back center positions and in which a shuttle is in weft detecting position during a. detector period extending only from the time the lay is in top center position in the first pick of the sequence until the lay starts to move away from the bottom center position thereof during the third pick of the sequence, the shuttle thereupon moving away from detecting position and being in transfer position during the fourth pick of the sequence, the. loom having an electric weft detector capable of indicating weft exhaustion during said detecting period only, and the loom having also a magazine provided with a bobbin releaser which when reciprocated releases a reserve bobbin for transfer and also sets a normally idle transfer mechanism for a transferring operation, actuating mechanism for the bobbin releaser having two successive two-pick cycles of operation during the sequence, the first and second cycles starting at the beginning of the first and third picks respectively of the sequence, a normally deenergized solenoid, a controller normally in noncontrolling position relatively to the actuating mechanism but being in controlling position relatively thereto when the solenoid is energized, the actuating mechanism, if the controller is in noncontrolling position at the beginning of a cycle and prior to arrival of the lay at its first top center position of the cycle, being ineffective to reciprocate the releaser during the cycle, and electric means causing energization of the solenoid during said detecting period only if the detector indicates exhaustion, whereby the actuating mechanism fails to reciprocate the releaser during the first cycle but does reciprocate the releaser during the second cycle due to the fact that the solenoid remains energized until the beginning of said second cycle.

' WALTER H. WAKEFIELD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,093,629 Baker Sept. 21, 1937 2,103,803 Vose Dec. 28, 1937 2,360,529 Turner Oct. 1'7, 1944 

